Hi!
I've wondered about the role and significance of presidential illnesses/disabilities on both the public and on international relationships. I think whether they decide to pass, or whether they tell the American public about their medical procedures means something, but I'm just not sure what it means, and I'd be interested in feedback.
Going in order, we have FDR and his polio. I haven't researched Truman. Throughout his life, Ike had several health problems, including what was then termed "ileitis," or inflammation of the ileum, which is part of the intestines. In his biography, he writes that he hadn't found any safe foods that didn't cause pain at one point or another. (Yet, in my opinion, most mainstream historians ignore this condition, in favor of his football injury or his heart attacks.)
Next, we've got JFK and the recent revelations. (By the way, even now, it's not uncommon for ulcerative colitis and spastic colitis to get misdiagnosed.) I haven't researched LBJ, Nixon, or Ford.
Carter has a TV commercial for funding pancreatic cancer, which runs in his family. Reagan and his polyps, and then his Alzheimers. I don't remember if one or both of the Bush, Seniors were diagnosed with Grave's Disease. I haven't researched Clinton. Bush, Junior, actually signed over his powers before getting a colonoscopy to check for polyps. Interestingly enough, the public was told that it was simply a screening procedure that everyone his age should have done; nothing was said about his possibly increased risk due to his family history. (It also wasn't pointed out that because he has good health insurance, he was completely anesthetized, whereas many insurance plans don't cover total anesthesia.)
And, all that is without going into how presidential RELATIVES' illnesses affect society.
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